As many of you know, November is a very important month for the Junior League of Tampa. For the past 11 years, the first weekend in November has held our Holiday Gift Market – a 3 day shopping extravaganza at the Florida State Fairgrounds. I was tasked with making an appetizer for the kick-off party. The easiest and tastiest recipe that came to mind was Sassy Salsa from the first cookbook in the Junior League of Tampa’s Culinary Collection, Life of the Party.
I love this recipe for its simplicity and because I can make it ahead of time. The ingredients are pretty straightforward and easy to find. I will admit, I cheat and buy the pre-cut green and red onions and tomatoes to save even more time. The recipe calls for avocado, which I did not include because the grocery store didn’t have any ripe avocados when I did my shopping. I did include mild green chilies. I like spicy salsa but I kept this one on the mild side for mass appeal!
For the kick-off party I actually doubled this recipe to yield almost 6lbs of fresh and delicious salsa. But making the recipe as noted below will still yield plenty of salsa for the big game or holiday party on your calendar. Serve with your favorite corn chips or crostini.
Ingredients:
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (16-ounce) can corn, drained
½ cup fresh cilantro
¼ cup chopped green onions
¼ chopped red onions
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1-tablespoon cumin
Salt to taste
Ground pepper to taste
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 cup chopped avocado
1 (4-ounce) can green chilies (optional)
Hot sauce (optional)
Corn chips (Tostitos scoops are great)
Preparation:
Combine the beans, corn, cilantro, green onions, red onion, lime juice, oil and cumin in a large bowl and mix well. Add salt and pepper as needed. Chill, covered, for up to 24 hours. Stir in tomatoes, avocados, green chilies immediately before serving. Add hot sauce to taste if desired.
Enjoy!
The Junior League of Tampa Cookbook Blog 